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Bruins name Cam Neely vice-president and plan to honour Willie O'Ree

Amidst the disappointment dished out to roster hopefuls as NHL teams assigned players to the minors on Tuesday came two rays of sunshine from Boston.

Hockey Hall of Famer Cam Neely was named vice-president of the Bruins. He'll advise GM Peter Chiarelli on hockey operations and counsel executive vice-president Charlie Jacobs on club matters.

Neely remains Boston's all-time leading playoff goal scorer with 55. The team retired his No. 8 on Jan. 12, 2004.

The Bruins also announced that they'll honour Willie O'Ree next Jan. 19 to mark the 50th anniversary of O'Ree breaking the colour barrier in the NHL.

On Jan. 18, 1958, the native of Fredericton became the first black player to participate in a regular-season NHL game when he suited up for Boston against Montreal. He played one other game that season. During the 1960-61 campaign, O'Ree was again called up by the Bruins and went on to play 43 games, scoring four goals and assisting on 10 others.

-Boston assigned right-winger Martins Karsums and goalie Tuukka Rask to its AHL affiliate in Providence, R.I. Karsums had 13 goals and 22 assists in 54 games with Providence last winter, while Rask spent his season with Tampere in his native Finland.

-Columbus assigned right-winger Steven Goertzen to the AHL's Syracuse Crunch, and placed right-winger Derek Dorsett of Kindersley, Sask., on injured reserve with a stress fracture in a leg. He'll be out four to six weeks.